


You Know, For Science

by IdolDaydreams



Series: 50 Prompts Personal Challenge [5]
Category: EXO (Band)
Genre: Alternate Universe - Celebrity, M/M, Reader-Insert
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2016-09-26
Updated: 2016-09-26
Packaged: 2018-08-17 12:34:57
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 951
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/8144239
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/IdolDaydreams/pseuds/IdolDaydreams
Summary: "Being in the entertainment business, you’ve met your fair share of bombastic people. You’ve met your fair share of flirtatious people. You’ve also met–to their dismay–your fair share of people with their feet in their mouths. None of these things should faze you anymore, much less be points of attraction. Yet they are with him."





	

To say you’ve been dancing around each other for a while is both literal and figurative. You first met in passing at music show recordings, giving cursory bows and Baekhyun looking at you in a way he probably thought was subtle. It might have been, had he not been worth the second glance.  

Being in the entertainment business, you’ve met your fair share of bombastic people. You’ve met your fair share of flirtatious people. You’ve also met–to their dismay–your fair share of people with their feet in their mouths. None of these things should faze you anymore, much less be points of attraction. Yet they are with him. At first you told yourself it was the comfort of having someone like you in the room. Someone with whom you shared a secret. While that remains true, you can’t deny your heart’s ulterior motive.

A crush is really, really inconvenient right now.

It’s the end-of-year award season, and your respective groups have been seated close to each other. So far you’ve spent the better part of the evening watching Suho walk back and forth between his own table and SHINee’s. You’ve allowed yourself to spare a few glances at Baekhyun, but he hasn’t moved from his seat. It would be a lie to say you aren’t disappointed. Really, though, you don’t know why he would come visit you. Your most meaningful conversations have been during commercial breaks as MCs. If you were braver, you would go to his table yourself. However, the scrutiny of the cameras locks you in place.

Out of the corner of your eye, you think you see the manager of one of your fansites. You turn your head and catch sight of the familiar mask - black with a cute pattern. She always wears the same one. From your chair you give her a small bow, mouthing the words, “Have you eaten?” By the swell of her cheeks behind the mask, you can tell she’s smiling. She nods. You’re about to voice your approval when someone steps in front of you. When you look up, your heart tries to escape through your throat.

Baekhyun greets you with a loud announcement of your name. He helps himself to the empty seat beside you which, given enough time, you’d have offered him anyway. You can feel your members’ eyes on both of you, but you can’t bear to turn your head enough to look at them. They don’t need to see you blush.

“You still have to perform yet, right?” he asks, though you suspect he already knows the answer. When you nod, he produces a slip of paper from his hand and pushes it into yours. “I’ll be watching,” he assures you with an unmistakable undertone. And just like that, he’s on his way back to his own table.

“The hell was that?” says one of the members a few seats from you.

With a shrug, you open the paper in your hand. Perhaps you shouldn’t be surprised his number is written on it, but your eyes widen anyway. When you explain this to the rest of the group, they tease you accordingly. 

In part because of your healthy dose of embarrassment, it takes you a minute to send that first text. When you do, it reads: _That was smooth for someone who can’t even read his cue cards._

A few seconds later, you look up to find him staring at his phone. He spares you a playful glance, then your phone vibrates. You read the text. _Greeting me with an insult?! I need better taste in men._

Biting your bottom lip, you stifle the laughter that bubbles in your chest. _Who says you’re MY taste?_  

 _I’m cute and you laugh at all my jokes_. When you look up from your phone, you find Baekhyun looking back at you, smiling. He gives you a highly exaggerated wink. You want to deny him a reaction, but wind up laughing anyway. So much for spite. A few minutes later, you and the rest of your group go backstage to prepare.

Your leader approaches you as your makeup is getting touched up, his and his wardrobe already done. “Ready to impress your boyfriend?” he teases.

Knowing he means well, but also wanting to protect yourself in front of the staff, you bark, “Who’s my boyfriend?” Your leader laughs it off, moving along to check on the others. The staff seem unfazed, but really, that’s part of their job. Mentally you sigh, already knowing this will be a topic of discussion for a long while.

The time comes to perform, and you take your admittedly mild frustration out on the dance. It’s one of the group’s sexier concepts, involving more body rolls and less clothing than you’re otherwise used to. Judging by some of the screams, the song is going over well. Still, you wonder what Baekhyun thinks. With all the lights on the stage, it’s impossible to see him and answer your own question. The uncertainty pushes you harder.

Once it’s over and you’re finally ready to go back to your table, you take your phone back from your manager. It blinks with several texts. Some of them are from friends, but Baekhyun’s are the ones you read first.

 _Too sexy!_  the first one reads. _My innocent eyes! They’ll never be the same._

For a moment you just stare at the screen, expression flat. _I’ve seen you on stage. There’s no innocence left in your body._

 _Just an image! Well, it’s not anymore. You’ve corrupted me beyond repair._  Before you can reply, he sends another message. W _e should go out sometime. You know, for science._

 _Sure_ , you send. _For science._


End file.
